Package-banding machine



J. S. M CHESNEY- PACKAGE BANDII IG MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1919 r 0 L n C M I Nov. 29, 1927. v 1,650,844 SQMOCHESNEY y PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE Filed March 19. 1919 9 she ts-sheet '2 Q *3. &

Nov. 2 9, 1927,

1,650,844 J. S. MCCHESNEY PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1919 s Sheets-Sheet 5 I vca for.

Nov. 29, 1927. 1,650,844

' J. S. MCCHESNEY PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE Filed March 19. 1919 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 .ZZvenarJ @zfigm a4 64 f G 4 6222M U 9 Sheets-sheet 8 Invent-or.

J. 5. M CHESNEY PACKAGE BANDING MAGHiNE Filed March 19. 1919 wv 55 m N9 1 wim 7 tslseirmcm M I Y Nov. 29, 1927. 1,650,844

J. S. M CHESNEY PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE I Filed mmh'ls. 1919 9 Shets-Sheet 9,

' portions of the loop Patented Nov. 29, 1927;

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JOHN SHERMAN HcOH ESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T OARY'MANUFACTUBING 60., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

PACAGE-BANDING' MACHINE.

My invention relates to appliances for handing objects or groups of objects with wire. and in its general aspect aims to provide a simple, positive and easily manipulated-appliance for successively accomplishing the various. steps involved between the feeding of wire from a continuous supply to the releasing of the properl banded object. In one of its more particu ar aspects, my invention aims to provide simple means for utiliz ing a single source of power both for forcing the wire into'loop formation abouta package or other object and for thereafter retracting the supply end of the wire to tension the band about the object. 'In this aspect, my invention aims to provide simple and positive means for feeding a predetermined length of wire into a suitable raceway, to provide simple and positive means for gripping the free end portion of the wire and preferably for kinking the same to afford a secure hold against the strain involved during the t ensioning of the wire around the package; to afford positive means for retracting the supply end of the wire to a predetermined tension regardless of the size of the object which is being handed, to afford simple means'for setting the retracting wire-feeding portion ofthe mechanism in operation, and to afford automatic means for disconnecting this part of the mechanism when the desired amount of wire has been fed; to afford simple means responsive to the tensioning of the wire for limiting the extent of this tensioning, and to afford simple means responsive to this predetermined tensioning for starting the operations subsequently involved in the severing of the supply portion. of wire from the 00p portion and in the securing of the loop ends'to each other. For these subsequent operations, my invention aims to provide simple means for successively severing the loop portion of the wire from its supply, for thereafter" forcing tions to each other, overlapping portions to each other. In this same connection, my invention aims to provide simple means for applying the welding current to the overlapped wire portions through a roller moving across one surface of the overlapped wire ends; to provide simple means for limiting the time during the operation of tensioning said wire.

into overlapping relay and for welding such means for returning the wire-gripping, wirecutting and roller welding portions of the appliance to their initial positions. My invention includes, also, a deformed wire, the deformation of which is co-operable with certain elements or parts whereby said deformation resists slippage of the wire during Said deformations perform the further function of resisting slippage while the wire is under tension and during the operation of fastening or joining the end portions of the wire. Still further objects will appear "from the following specification and from the.accom' panying drawings, in which drawings .Fig. 1 is a front eleva'tion'of a machine embodying my invention, and of a wire-supplying reeling stand used with the same.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. v Fig. 3 is'an end view, taken from the right hand end of the machine in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the same machine, with portions of the frame omitted to show parts of the mechanism -con- "cealed by the frame in Fig. 1.-

Fig. 5' is a transverse vertical section through Fig.4 along the zigzag line 5--5, showing the slide carrying the welding roller, and the cam for moving the slide.

Fig. 6 is avertical section takennalon'g the correspondingly numbered line of 4 through parts of the wire-feeding and wiretensioning mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a part of thetahle top with the stationary plates 37, 37, 9, and the thrust plate 38 removed to show portions of the wire gripping, wirecutting and welding means.

Fig. 8 is an enlar ed section along the correspondingly numbered line of Fig. 6, showin the latching means for preventing a releasing of the tensioning when the wiretensioning mechanism is stopped in effective operation;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view 'showing the arrangement of the table top and the operating connections between the source of power and the wire-feeding means.

Fig. 1.0 is a fragmentary perspective view ill showing .the arran'gment of the parts employed for kinking the free end portion of the wire to gri the same.

Fi 11 is a agmentary vertical and longitu 'nal section through in appliance taken along the corresponding y number line of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 1s an enlarged plan view of a part of the machine showing parts of the mechanism for limiting the tensioning of the wire and for thereafter actuating the loop-severing and loop-closin' means.

ig. 13 is an en arged elevation of the rear portion of the machine, showing the arrangement of the wire rippers.

Fig. 14 is an enlarge perspective view of one of the traveling grippers with the movable gripping jaw detached.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the grippin jaw detached from the gripper means of ig. 14.

Figs. 16. and 17 are fragmentary verticalsections showing the cutter as it appears just before and just after severmg the supply end of the loop from the supply wire.

Fig. 18 is a detail view showing the relation of the clutch barrel to the controlling bar.

Fig. 19 is a detail view showing a method of latching the controlling bar.

Fig. 20 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 19, taken from the right hand end of the latter figure.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the table plates 38 and 9.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the guide 16 which carries the movable welding electrode, and of the guides for the same.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the cam 44 which raises the slide 82.

' gap a tubular guide 2 through which a wire 3 may be shoved into the raceway by a pair of feed rolls 4 and 5. This raceway pro ects above the level of the lower periphery of a series of conveyer rollers 6 as seen in Figure 3 which facilitates the sliding of the package 7 into position'for wire-banding the sum-c. The wire 3 is taken from a supply reel 8 and the feeding rolls 4 and 5 are rotated to such a predetermined extent as to feed the wire entirely around the raceway and to leave the free end-of the wire disposed between a thrust plate 38 and a slide 10 carrying a wedge 11, which wedge is adapted to kink a portion of the wire into a corresponding .groove in the thrust plate 38 when the slide 10 is moved transversely with respect to the wire and the thrust plate 38. This kinking holds thefree end of the wire, so as to permit of a retractin of the supply of the wire and of t e tensioning of t e wire around the package.

To accomplish this tensioning, I release the feed rolls from their andthen retract the'supp y portion of the wire by a continuous pull afforded. by a series of grippers movin longitudinally of the wire and so arrang that each of the movable grippers clutches the wire before the next preceding gripper releases its hold on the same. These grippers are carried by an endless chain passing over sprockets mounted on two axles, one of which axles is journaled on movable slides which are yieldmgly held in their normal positions by spring proportioned to the desired tension on the wire, so that when this tension is proach the other axle, thereby actuating means for rendering the tensioning mechanism inoperative.

Then I provide connections to this movable axle, whereby the movement of the same notonly'automatically disconnects the wiretensioning mechanism from the source of power, but also starts'the portion of my appliance which holds the wire under tension. severs the wire from the supply, and weldjoins the ends of the wire loop while the loop is maintained under tension. For these latter purposes. I provide cam-actuated means for gripping (and desirably kinking) the portion of the wire loop to which the supply of wire is connected, such as a cam 12 raising a plunger 13 having a tip adapted to kink a part of the wire into an adjacent groove in the bottom of a slidable thrust plate 38. It is to be noted by reference to Figure 11 that the thrust plate is provided in its under surface with a recess with which coacts the tip of a plunger 13, whereby a band is adapted to be deformed or kinked. to the end that the recessed thrust plate and the plunger co-opcratc. to deform said band and to retain said hand against movement or displacement. Again, it will be noted by reference to Figures 11 and 10, that wedge 11 of the slide 10 and the recess in the undersurface of the thrust plate 38 constitute, also. means for deforming a band. said dcforming means being co-operable in holding the band at or near one end portion thereof when tension is applied thereto. Said wedgc formed slide and the recessed thrust plate thus perform the important function of retaining a deformation of a band at or near an end portion thereof so as to preclude slipping of the band under the strain applied to tension the same. I also provide cam means, such as a cam 14.,for raising a guide 16, which carries a reciprocable welding electrode, and for also raising a knife 15; The knife 15 is so disposed as to force rtion the severed end of the wire loop into approximate overlapping relation to the original free end of the wire, and the cam 14 is of such shape that it will hold both the knife 15 and the guide 16 in their raised positions while the movable electrode is reciprocated across overlapped wire portions to weld these to each other along a transverse band; after which the continued movement of the cams 12 and 14 permits gravity to lower the plunger 13, the knife 15 and the guide 16 (together with the welding mechanism carried by this guide), so as to allow the banded package to be removed after a slidable withdrawing of the thrust plate38 and the slide 10. To avoid'a waste ofcurrent. I also provide a commutator 89 carried by'the same shaft 17 on which the said cams are mounted, so as to limit the duration of the current to the initial movement of the welding electrode 18 in one direction. Then I also. provide means for automatically stopping the cam shaft 17 after it has caused the cams to complete their cycle of operations.

Referring first to the means for disposing the wire in loop formation and for gripping the free end of the wire, ,it will be seen from Fig. 11 that a movement of the feed rolls 4 and 5 in the direction of the arrows will propel the wire towards the left of this draw ing, this being accomplished while the plunger 13, the weldingroller 18 and the knife 15 are lowered, while the thrust plate 38 and the slide 10 are slid back out of vertical alinement with the bore of the raceway. Owing to the stiffness of the commercial wire, this will closely follow the inner wall of the raceway, so that the feeding of ,a predetermined length of wire will always cause the free end to be disposed at siibstantially a predetermined point. By suitably proportioning the number of revolutions of the rolls 4 and 5 to the diameter of these rolls and to the size of the raceway, I can therefore readily cause the free tip of the loop to extend partly across the gap inthe raceway. To insure an effective gripping of the wire between the feed rolls, I journal the shaft 19 of the lower roller 5 on a slide 20 which may be raised or lowered by means of a cam 21 (see Fig. 11) turned by a handle 22, as shown in Fig. 6. This cam 21 is interposed between the slide 20 and a thrust plate 23, which plate may be adjusted in position by means of screws 24, to vary the distance between the feed rolls according to the thickness of the wire. Upon turning the cam 21 to a position at right angles to that shown in Fig. 11, gravity .will lower the slide 20 and consequently the roll 5, thus affording ample clearance for initially introducing the wire from the reel 8. after which the returning of the cam 21 to the position of Fig. 6 brings the feed rolls into gripping relation to the wire.

to a clutch jaw .29 splined to the shaft 28.

To start the feed rolls in operation, the jaw 29 is moved'into clutching engagement with the continuously rotating clutch jaw 27 by a fork30 on the end of a rod 31. This rod is normallyheld in the retracted position shown in Fig. 9 by a spring 32, but carries a tapering knob 33 which interlocks with a latch 34 to hold the clutch rod 31 in the position in which it maintains the clutch aws 27 and 29 engaged with each other. Consequently, the feed roll shafts will be rotated until the latch 34 is disengaged so as to allow the sprin 32 to effect a disengagement of the clutch aws.

To effect this disengagement, I provide a trip 35 carried by a timing chain 36. This timing chain is intermeshed with a sprocket fastened to the shaft 28 of the upper feed roll, and starts moving as soon as the clutch jaws27 and 29 are engaged with each other,

so that the time during which the said clutch keeps the feed rolls in operation depends on the length of the timing chain, which is proportioned to the diameter of the feed rolls and the size of the raceway. To permit the driving feed.roll 4 to rotate backward during the tensioning of the wire, I do not fasten the driving sprocket rigidly to the clutch jaw 29, but mount it rotatably to the frame of the machine, adjacent to the latter for joint rotation in the direction in which the roll feeds the wire into the raceway.

When the wire has thus been fed into a loop formation, which may readily be done even after the package 7 is placed in its operative posltion on the machine, the thrust llO plate 38 is slid across the gap in the raceway,

so as to be disposed between the wire loop and the bottom of the package, and the free end of the wire loop is gripped between this thrust plate and another gripper member. To make this gripping sufficiently effective for preventing a slipping of the wire when the latter is tensioned about the package; I desirably provide a tapering groove in the bottom of the thrust plate 38 (as shown in detail in Fig. 10) and equip the companion gripper element 10 with a wedge 11 adapted to kink the wire into the said groove. To facilitate the sliding of the wire through the relatively narrow space between the thrust plate 38 and the slide 10, I desirably J leased terlocked with stationary plates 37 and has er 56 would clear the edge of this plate.

a tongue adapted to enga e under another stationar p ate 9, therby holding this thrust p ate firmly against the stram involved during the kinking and gripping of the wire. When slid into the operative position of Fig. 9, this thrust plate is interposed between the package and the wire loop (as shown in Fig. 11) but is later withdrawn to permit the removal of the banded pack age. The thrust plate 38 carries pins 39 (as shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 21), which pins project downwardly into cam ooves 40 in a slide 41. The gripper sli e 10 carries a pin 42 which projects upwardly into a cam groove 43 in the same slide 41. Consequentl a movement of this slide 41 will move th the slides 38 and transversely across the gap in the raceway, but the cam grooves and 43 are formed in relatively reverse directions (as shown in Figs. 9 and 10) so that the movement of the slide 41 towards the left in Fig. 9 will first move the slide 38 across the gap or into a position between the wire and the package, and will thereafter move the slide 10 across the gap under the wire, so as to cause the wed e 11 to kink and grip the wire between itsel and the adjacent part of the thrust plate 38.

This movement of the slide 41 is effected by the lever 44 arranged as in Fig. 4, this lever being mounted on a pivot 45 and locked in either one of two ositions by a spring-pressed-latch 46 which may be rey a handle 47. Fig.4 shows this lever in a position correspondin to Figs. 1 and 9, or in one in which it has already moved the slide 41 and has also moved a bar 48 which controls the means for causing the movable wire grippers to engage the wire. In the embodiment illustrated, each of these wire grippers consists of a jaw 49 rigidly secured to a carrier plate 50, and a companion jaw 51 also carried by the same plate but so mounted that it can be moved towards the stationary jaw or away from the latter. For this purpose, I desirably pivot a bell-crank 52 upon the plate 50 and connect this with the movable jaw 51 by a pin 53. Then I also provide a link 54 pivotally connected to both the bell crank 52 and the movable jaw 51, so as to maintain the jaws' parallel to each other while they are being moved by a swinging of the bell-crank. 52. To effect this swinging, I interpose a spring 54 between one end of the bell-crank and a lag 55 on the plate 50, and equip the other end of the bell crank with a roller 56 adapted to enga e a cam plate 57. The cam plate 57 is slidal ily mounted on bolts 58 extending through slots oblique to the face of the jaws 49 and 51 and is continuously urged by a spring 59, which coo erates with the said oblique slots 60in ten in to force the cam plate 57 to a position in w ich the roll- However, the cam plate 57 may be moved by the bar 48 against the pressure of the spring 59 and into the position of Figs 13, thus causin the roller 56 to engage t e beveled end of the cam plate and to move the bellcrank into the position in which it forces the jaws into gripp' relation with the wire.

To secure a rapi and-.contmuous tepsloning of the wire, the tensioning cham 60' carries :1 seriefi oi the carrier plates 53, each e uippe wit t e grip r jaws an awni oving means as above d escribed, the 8 acing between them being so proportion to the len h of the cam plate 57 that each of the be l-crank levers will be efiectively moved by the cam plate before the next preceding lever is disen aged from the latter. Thus, the drawings s ow the chains 60 as carrying three sets of these gripping means, each having jaws of such lengt t at they can firmly grip even thin and flat wire without damaging the latter.

To insure an effective banding, it is also desirable to distribute the tensioning of the loo symmetrically with respect to the pac age, for which purpose I provide a stop 61 against which the tensioning of the loop draws the package, this stop being movably mounted and resisted in movement b a spring 62 interposed between it and a rigid bracket 63. To limit the tensionin of the wire, I provide fixed bearings for t e shaft 64 carrying the upper of the two sprockets engaged by the c ain 60, this shaft bein driven through a worm 65 on the power sha 66 and a worm wheel 67 fastened to the shaft 64. The companion sprocket carrying the tensioning chain is mounted on a shaft 68 journaled in slides 69 on the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 12, these slides being continuously pressed by sprin s 70 which tend to kee the chain taut. ese springs are of suc strength that they will yield when the tensioning. of the wire reaches a predetermined degree, thus permittin the shaft 68to move bodily towards the rive shaft 64.

This movement of the shaft 68 swings a lever 71 which has a forked end spanning this shaft as shown in Fig. 12, thereby imparting a longitudinal movement towards the left of the drawings to the thrust rod 72 of Figs. 4, 11 and 13 for the pur ose of actuating the wire-cutting and wel ing mechanism as hereafter described. This latter mechanism is operated through a cam shaft 17 which extends loosely through a worm wheel 73 intermeshing with a worm mounted on the same shaft 74 with the sprocket which drives the timin chain 36. The hub ofthe worm wheel 73 1s notched at one end to match notches in a c utch sleeve 75 which is s lined to theshaft 17 and which is norma y slid out of engaging relation with the notched hub of the. worm 73 by a spring 76 as shown in Fig. '11. Upon moving the ro 72 against the resistance of the last named spring, the clutch sleeve 75 is interlocked with the hub of the worm wheel 73, as shown in Fi 4, thereb operatively connecting the s aft 17 wit the continuously rotating shaft 74', while the rod 72 is temporarilylatched in its said clutch-operating position by a pivoted latch 77. This pivoted latch is held in its said position by. a spring 78 until the shaft 17 has made a complete revolution, when this latch is tripped by a In 79 on the barrel of the clutch, thereby re easingthe enlargement 7 2 (see Figs. 4 and 11) on the rod 72 which was in engagement with the latch 77. This .enlargement is desirably threaded on the rod 72 as shown in Fig. 11 so as to permit an accurate adjustment of its position, while the threaded engagement of the rod 72 with the strap 95 connecting this rod to the lever 71 permits an adjustment for varying the degree of compression of the springs to which these will be responsive. w

While the clutch barrel is thus rotating,the lug 7 9 raises the bar 48 which controls the-position of the cam plate 57, thereby unlatching this bar from its springpressed connection with the lever 44 (as shown in Figs. 19 and 20) and permitting the spring 59 to slide the camplate '57 out of its operative position. Consequently, although the chain 60 will continue to carry the gripper jaws successively along opposite sides of the wire, these. jaws can no longer be forced into gripping relation to the wire, so that the further tensioning of the wire is discontinued after the cam shaft 17 has made a part of its rotation. During the interval, the cam 12 forces the plunger 13 upwardly, thus pressing the supply portion of the wire loop against the thrust plate 38 as shown in Fig. 11 and holding it so pressed during the operation of the welding mechanism. To prevent a slackening of the tension on the wire when the tensioning mechanism is operatively disconnected after tightening the loop, I provide the driving sprocket with a hub 100 having ratchet teeth engaging a pawl 101, as shown in detail in Fig. 8.

For the welding mechanism, I provide a transformer having one end of its secondary winding 80 connected to the frame of. the machine, while the other end is connected to a relatively insulated lever 81 carrying a roller 18 which serves as the movable electrode. The lever 81 is inounted upon a slide 82 and is normally pressed upward by a spring 83 as shown in Fig. 5. This slide 82 is movable transversely of the raceway in a guide 16, but is normally pressed forward- 1y of the machine by a spring 84 engaging a lug 85 on the guide 16. The guide 16 is slidable vertically of the machine, for which purpose I desirably provide this guide at opposite sides with grooves respectively engaging the plunger 13 and a companion plunger 86, which latter plunger carries the knife or cutter 15 and is prevented from rotation by the engagement of the forked tips of the knife with the slide 10. The knife or cutter desirably has a beveled cutting edge of a width somewhat greater than that of the wire, flanked by a pair of projections (as shown in Figs. 16 and 17), which projections will prevent the cutter from being spoilt by grinding the same on a wheel. The plunger 86 is desirably so long that its lower end strikes the shaft 17 while the fork tips flanking the knife are still in engagement with the slide 10, or long before the guide 16 reaches the lower limit of its travel. Thus arranged, these fork tips help to guide the wire laterally and prevent the slope of the knife from moving the wire sideways during the shearing.

With the parts thus arranged, it will be evident from Fig. 11 that the rotation of the cam 14 will raise the guide 16, thereby also raising the slide 82 which carries the. movable electrode, and that it will raise the knife 15. In doing the latter, the cutting edge of the knife presses the supply portionof the wire against the slide 10 and shears the wire between the two, after which a continued movement of the knife (as shown in Fig. 17) presses the freshly severed portion of the loop towards the initial free end portion ofthe wire. 'While the cam 14 is holding the parts in this raised position, a trip 87 fastened to the cam 14 engages a downwardly directed lug on the slide 82 (as shown in Fig. 5), thereby moving the slide 82 transversely of the wire and causing the welding roller 18 to engage the under surface of the freshly severed wire portion under a pres sure exerted by the spring 83. This movement continues until the roller has passed entirely across the wire, by which time the tip of the trip 87 passes the bottom of the stud lug, thus permitting the spring 84 to return the slide 82 to its initial position.

It is to be noted that in my mechanism an end portion of the band (preferably a deformed portion) is held by band-retaining means comprising a recessed thrust plate 38 and a wedge formed slide 10, that the-band in looped formation passes around the package and over the plunger 13 and knife 15, and below a part of the band retained by slide 10, and that the two terminal portions of the loop are in side by side relation, whereby said -terminal portions are positioned to effect the union thereof by the operation of appropriate band-securing means. In the example shown, this band-securing means is embodied in the form of a welding electrode roll 18 to which electrical current is Ill) supplied and which is under pressure of spring mechanism (lever 81 and sprmgs 83) and to which roller 18 a traversing motion is given subsequently to the assemblage of the band for its terminal portions to lap one another, said springs 83 tending to press the terminal portions of the band into physical contact and under yielding pressure. The welding electrode is thus actuated to press the band terminals into physical contact and to traverse the lapping portions so as to heat said lapping portions and press them together for producing a joint or union by welding operation.

The band is cut by a shearing action of the knife 15, which co-operates with the element 10 of the band gripping device comprising the recessed thrust plate 38 and the slidable element 10 with the wedge 11, said cutting edge of the knife 15 shearing past an edge of slide 10 as shown in Figure 4. The knife is actuated automatically by cam 14 which is timed to impart an upward movement to the knife at a period subsequently to the operation of the tensioning means and to the grippin action of plunger 13 on the band, said 'fe acting to sever the hand prior to the operation of the band-securing means afforded by the welding roll18 and mechanism associated therewith.

To avoid a waste of electrical energy, I desirably mount on the free end of the shaft 17 a head carrying a commutator 89 having imbedded in it a metal plate 90 which has its central portion continuously engaged by a brush 91 connected to one terminal of the low voltage generator 92, which supplies the primary current for the said transformer. comprising the generator 92 and the primary of the transformer is connected to a brush 93 which is slidably mounted in a forked bracket 94, so that this brush may be adjusted to vary the length of time during which the circuit is completed in the course of a single rotation of the commutator, thereby permitting the time to be adjusted according to the width of the wire. The plate 90 is desirably so shaped as to afford the elec-' trical connection only while the welding roller 18 is traversing the wire during its initial movement, leaving the current cut oil during the return stroke, so that the pressure of the roller during the return movement merely helps to press the weld-joined wire loop portions tightly together during the initial eriod of their cooling. As soon as the shai 17 has com leted this rotation, the lug 79 trips the late 77, thus releasing the clutch sleeve 75 and operatively disconnecting the cam shaft 17 from the source of power.

. In operating the machine, this starts with the tip of the supply wire vertically in alinement with the top of the knife, with the The other terminal of the circuit thrust plate 38 drawn back so as to expose the gap in the top of the table, and with the lever 44 swung over to the right. After placing the box or other package in the desired position for banding, the operattcalr firlst -way towar s t 1e moves the lever 44 hal left in Fig. 4, or to a position in which the latch 46 is intermediate of the notches adapted to engage the same. This moves the slide 41 to the position of Fig. 10, or one in which it has slid the thrust plate 38 across the ap in the racewa under the package, but as not yet move the slide 10. He then moves the rod 31 into its clutch-engaging position,

thus starting the rotation of the feed rolls '1 and 4, thusstarting the tensioning mechanism, which effects the desired tensioning, then automatically actuates the clutch 75 on the wire-cutting and welding mechanism and likewise automatically shuts ofi the tensioning mechanism. As soon as this clutch 7 5 has caused the shaft 17 to complete a single revolution, the thrust rod 72 is released and snaps back into its normal position, thus advising the operator that the entire banding operation has been completed. He then throws the lever 44 back to its original position, thus retracting the thrust plate 38 and the slide 10, thereby opening the gap in the table so that the banded package can either be lifted off the table or slid into position for afiixing another band, leaving the machine in immediate position for renewing this cycle of operations.

In practice, this entire cycle of operations requires but a fraction of a minute, and as the operator only needs to manipulate two handles, my appliance readily lends itself to the emplolyment of unskilled help. However, while have illustrated and described my machine in a desirable embodiment, I do not wish to be limited to the details of the construction and arrangement here described, it being obviousthat the same might be varied in man ways without departing from the spirit 0 my invention within the scope of the appended claims.

The deformed wire of my invention for handing packages is illustrated more particularly in Figure 11 of the drawings, wherein the wire 3 is shown as having been looped or passed around the package, into contact therewith and with the end portions ill) of said wire in position to 'be lapped prior to the operation of fastening said wire ends as by the welding operation. As shown the wire is deformed at two places, one of whichis at the recessed thrust plate 38 and the plunger 10, and the other deformation is at the thrust plate.38 and the. plunger 13. As shown, the deformations attwo places are produced in the wire by the movement of plungers 10, 13, relatively to the thrust plate, and said deformations are characterized by recesses and shoulders in the wire which co-operate with the thrust plate and said plungers in a way to hold said wire from slippin during the tension operation and also during the operation of fastening the wire ends.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In a wire-tensioning appliance, plural means for gripping a-wire and moving the same in a given direction, means for successively bringing the said gripping means into action while passing a given point, and means responsive to a predetermined tensioning of the Wire for rendering the last named means inoperative.

2. In a wire tensioning appliance, wire,

gripping means arranged in opposed pairs, means for successively bringing each of the said pairs to positions at opposite sides of the wire, and cam means for forcing each of the said pairs to grip the wire when so positioned.

3. In a package banding machine, wire tensioning means including an endless member movable in the direction of feeding a wire to an object to be handed, a plurality of wire grippers carried by and movable with said endless member, means for actuating said grippersfor gripping engagement with the wire while said grippers are moving past a given point, and means for releasing said grippers from the Wire.

In a package banding machine, wiretensioning means including an endless member movable in a direction for feeding Wire to an object to bebanded, a plurality of grippers each carried by said endless member, means whereby each gripper is actuated for gripping engagement with the wire, and means responsive to tension on the wire for actuating said gripper for releasing the wire.

5. In an appliance for banding an object with a wire loop, means for gripping the free end portion of the wire formed into a loop, continuously movingplural means operable for successively gripping thewire and moving the same in one direction to tension the loop about the object, actuating means for successively bringing the said.

gripping means into action, and single manually operable means for actuating the said gripping means and the said actuating means.

6. In an appliance for wire banding, means for holding the free end of a wire to be formed into a loop, continuously movable plural means operable for gripping the wire and for tensioning the same about an tension on the wire for automatically arresting the actuating means.

7. In an appliance for wire banding,

means for holding one end of a looped wire,

a plurality of continuously moving grippers each adapted for engagement with the wire for tensioning the same, actuating means cooperable with said grippers successively whereby the grippers are engaged periodically with the wire and are effective in pullmg said wire for a determined period, means operable at will for starting and stopping the movement of said grippers, and means responsive to a desired tension on the wire for arresting automatically the movement of said grippers.

8. In a wire tensioning appliance, continuously moving plural means adapted to grip the wire and to move the same in a given direction, actuating means for successively bringing the gripping means into action, cam means for moving the actuating means into operative position, and spring means for returning the actuating means to an inoperative position.

9. In an appliance for tensioning a wire, an endless member having a straight stretch parallel to a straight portion of the Wire which is to be tensioned, plural wire gripping means carried by the endless member and arranged for gripping the wire while traversing the said straight stretch, apair of sprockets over which the endless member is trained, a pair of shafts respectively carrying the sprockets, and supporting means for the shafts arranged for permitting a relative approaching thereof upon a predetermined tensioning of the wire.

10. In a wire tensioning appliance, Wire gripping means, an endless member carrying the same, a pair of sprockets over which the endless member passes, a pair of shafts respectively carrying the said sprockets,

shaft-supporting means arranged for permit-- ting a relative approaching of the shafts in response to a predetermined torque on the endless member, and means actuated bythe approaching of the shafts for operatively disconnecting the action of the wire gripping means.

11. :In a Wire tensioning appliance, a sup- Ind) port, a drive shaft journaled thereon, a bearing mounted on'the support for slidable.

movement towards the drive shaft, a second shaft journaled in the bearing, a pair of memb s rockets respectively carried by the two sliafts and having one thereof fast upon the drive shaft, an endless chain passing over the sprockets, wire gripping means carried by the endless chain, and spring means associated with the said bearing to resist a slid- .ing thereof by the resistance of the wire to the tension imparted thereto through the gripping means.

12,- In an appliance for wire-banding an object, wire tensioning means, wire-loop closing means, a clutch controlling the operation of the loop closing means, a starting lever, a releasable connection between the starting lever and the wire tensioning means, means responsive 'to a predetermined tensioning of the wire for latching the clutch in operative position, and common means carried by the clutch for releasing the said connection and for thereafter unlatehing the clutch.

' 13. In an appliance for handing an object with a wire loop, a thru-it member, a grip- ,pin'g member; and single means for disposing the thrusbmember between the object and a part of the wire loop and for thereafter gripping the wire between the said ers.

14. In an appliance for handing an object with a wire loop, a support for the wire loop, a thrust member anda gripping member both slidable upon a suitable support transversely of the wire loop; and means for successively interposing the ,thrust member between the object and a portion of the wire loop, and for thereafter sliding the gripping member into gripping relation to the thrust member to grip the said portion of the wire loop between them.

15. In an appliance for banding an object with a wire loop, means for supporting the \wire loop, a slide mounted on suitable supporting means and movable parallel to the plane of the wire loop; and a pair of wiregripping members movably mounted on the supporting means and adapted to be moved into gripping relation with a portion of the wire loop, and cam means connecting the slide with the gripping members for causing a movement of the slide to move the gripping members to their said wire-gripping relation.

16. Mechanism as per claim 15, with one of the gripping members adapted to be disposed between the object and the wire loop when in gripping position, and with the cam means arranged for first moving the said gripping member into its said position and thereafter effecting a gripping of the wire between the gripping members.

17. In an appliance for. banding an object with a wire loop, a thrust plate adapted to be disposed between the object and a portion of the wire loop and presenting recesses directed towards the wire, and separate means for kinking separated portions of the wire nispectively into the recesses in the thrust p ate.

18. In an appliance for handing an object with a 100 of wire, a pair of wire-grippiig members isposed for gripping the terminal loop portion of the wire, and a reciprocatory knife cooperating with one of the said members for severing the other loop terminal from the supply of wire 19. In an appliance for handing an object with a loop of wire, a pair of wire-gripping members disposed for gripping the terminal loop portion of the wire, and a reciprocatory knife cooperating with one of the said members and aided by the latter for severing the other oop terminal from the supply of wire.

20. In an a pliance for handing an object with a wire oop, means for feeding wire into a loop about the object, a spacer member adapted to be inserted between the loop and the object, wire tensioning means, and single manually operable means for inserting the spacer member and automatically operating for starting the tensioning means.

21. Inan appliance for handing an object, means for feeding wire into loop formation about the object, means for gripping the free end portion of the wire, means for tensioning the wire about the object, means for gripping another ortion of the wire loop, and means for ha ting the tensioning after the actuating of the last named gripping means.

22. In an appliance for making a wire band, means for disposing the free end of a supply of wire in loop formation with the ti thereof overlapping and relatively inchned to the supply portion of the wire, means for grippin the tip portion at a distance from the sai tip and for gripping the supply portion at a pointbeyond the said tip, means for severing the supply portion of the wire and for pressing the severed loop portion towards the said tip portion, and yielding means for completing the said movement of the overlapping wire portions towards each other.

23. In an appliance for making a wire band, means for disposin the free end of a supply of wire in loop ormation with the tip thereof overlap ing and relatively incllned to the supp y portion of the wire, means for gripping the tip portion at a point beyond the said tip, means for severing the supply portion of the wire and for pressing the severed loop portion towards the said tip portion, yielding means for completing the said movement of the overlapping wire portions towards each other, and means for thereafter securing the overlapped portions to each other.

24-. In an appliance for making a wire band, means for disposing the free end of a supply of wire in loop formation with the tip thereof overlapping and relatively inclined to the supply portion of the wire, means for gripping the tip portion at a distance from the said tip and for gripping the supply portion at a point beyond the said tip, means for severing the supply portion of the wire and for pressing the severed loop portion towards the said tip portion, yielding means for completing the said movement of the overlapping wire portions towards each other, and means for electrically welding the overlapped wire portions to each other.

25. In a package banding mechanism, band-feeding means operable to position a band in loop formation with the terminal portions of said loop in side by side relation, band-retaining means engageable with a deformation of said band for holding said band against slipping when tension 1s applied thereto, band tensioning means, and band securing means for joining said side by side positioned portions of said band.

26. In a package banding mechanism, band-retaining means including a recessed member engageable with a deformation of a band for holding said band against displacement when tension is applied thereto, band-tensioning means, and band-securing means for uniting side by side portions'of the band when looped with respect/to a package.

27. In a package banding mechanism,

band-retaining means lncluding a'recessed' member engageable with a deformation of said band for holding the same against slipping when tension is applied thereto, bandtensioning means, banduniting means positioned for joining the terminal portions of a loop formed by said band, and reciprocating band-cutting means positioned for sever- 'tions of a loop into ing the band subsequently to the operation.

of the band-tensioning means.

28. In a package bandin mechanism, band-retaining means engageable'with a deformation of a band for holding the same against displacement when tension is applied thereto, band-tensioning means, bandsecuring means for joinin the terminal porwilich the band is formed around a package, and band-cutting means operable for severing the band subsequently to the action of the tension means.

29. In a package banding mechanism, band deforming and retaining means for holding an end portion of a looped band to prevent slipping under tension, band-tensioning means and band-securing means for joining end portions of a loop into WhlCll said band is adapted to be formed.

30. In a package banding mechanism, band deforming and retaining means for holding an end portion of a looped band to prevent slipping under tension, band-tensioning means, band-securing means for said band is adapted to be formed, and reciprocating band-cutting means operable for severing the band adjacent the union ultimately produced for securing the end portions of said loop.

31. In a package banding mechanism, a plurality of band-deforming and retaining devices each operable for deforming a band and engageable with said deformation to hold the band against displacement under tension, band-tensioning means, and bandsecuring meansfor uniting the end portions of a loop into which said band is adapted to be formed.

32. In a package banding mechanism, a plurality of band-gripping devices engageable with deformations of a band at points adjacent a'union ultimately produced by and between terminal portions of a looped band, in combination with'band-tensioning means and band-securing means operable for joining the terminal portions of a looped band intermediate said deformations of the band.

33. In a package banding mechanism, the

combination of band-securing means, and

said band for holding the latter during the operation of said band-securing means.-

35. In a package banding mechanism, the combination with band-securing means, of band-retaining means provided with a recess engageable with a deformation of said band adjacent an end portion thereof, and band-cutting means operable to sever the band adjacent the union effected by the bandsecuring means between terminal portions of said band.

36. In a package banding mechanism, the combination with band-securing means, of band-retaining means engageable with a deformation of a band, and means for holding and tensioning another portion of said band prior to the union of the band terminals by said band-securing means.

37. In a package banding mechanism, band-retaining means engageable with a deformation of a band to hold an end portion of said band, other means engageable with another portion of the band .and operable for placing tension on said band, bandsecuring means operable for joining two portions of the band intermediate the bandretaining means and said other tensioning means, and band-cutting means for severing the band subsequently to tensioning the same.

38. In a package bandin mechanism, band-retaining means engagea le with :1 deformation of a band for holding an end portion of said band when tension is applied thereto, band-tensionin means enga eable with another portion 0 said band or placing tension on said band, and band-securing means for joining adjacent portions of sald band intermediate the band-retaining means and the band-tensioning means.

39. In a package banding mechanism, band-retaining means engageable with a deformation of a band for holding an end portion of said band when tension is applied thereto, band-tensioning means engageable with another portion of said band for placing tension on said band, band-securing means for joining adjacent portions of said band intermediate the band-retaining means and the band-tensioning means, andbandcutting means for severing the band at a point close to the joining of the band and operable to sever said band at said oint subsequently to the operation of the and-tensioning means.

40. In a package bandin mechanism, the combination of band-retalning means engageable with a deformation of a band for holding an end portion of said band when tension is applied thereto, band-tensioning means, band-securing means for joining adjacent portions of a band intermediate the band-retaining means and the band-tensioning means, and an automatic band-cutter for 1 severing the band subsequently to the action thereon of said band-tensioning means.

41. In a package banding mechanism, band-retaining means engageable with a deformation of a band for holding an end portion thereof when tension is applied to said band, band-tensioning means engageable with another portion of said band for tensioning the band, a gripper engageable with said band and in spaced relation to the bandretainin means, and band-securing means for joining adjacent portions of a band and at a point intermediate the band-retaining means and the ripper.

42. In a pee age banding mechanism,

band-retaining means enga eable with a deformation of a band for olding an end portion thereof when tension is applied to said band, band-tensioning'means engageable with another portion of saidjban'd' for tensioning the band, a gripper engageable with said band and in spaced relation to the bandretaining means, band-securing means for joining adjacent portions of a band and at a point intermediate the band-retaining means and the gripper, and band-cutting means for severing said band at a point adjacent the union effected by said band securing means.

43. In a package banding mechanism, a thrust plate, a band-gripper co-o'perable with said thrust plate for deforming a band and for retaining said band when tension is applied thereto, and band-tensionin means engageable with another portion 0 said band.

44. In a packa e banding mechanism, a thrust plate provi ed with a recess, a bandgripper provided with a wedge, means for effecting a relative movement between the thrust plate and the band gripper whereby to deform a band and to retain said deformed band when tension is applied thereto, and band-tensioning means engageable with another portion of the band for tensioning the same.

Signed at Chica 0, March 14th, 1919.

JOHN SHER AN McCHESNEY. 

